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2019 Cubs Spring Training Uniform Numbers

LHP Brian Duensing (who was Designated for Assigment this past Sunday) has cleared waivers and has accepted an Outright Assignment to AAA Iowa.

Because he has Article XIX-A status (player has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time), Duensing had to give his permission before he could be sent to ther minors.

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3/28 (MLB OPENING DAY) PRE-GAME FINAL UPDATE:

And to get down to the MLB Opening Day 25-man Active List roster limit, the Cubs have indeed placed RHRP Tony Barnette (right shoulder inflammation), LHRP Xavier Cedeno (left wrist inflammation), and RHRP Brandon Morrow (November 2018 right elbow debridement surgery) on their MLB 10-day Injured List retroactive to March 25th (which is the furthest back the assignments can be backdated).

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3/26 UPDATE:

LHP Kyle Ryan has been optioned to AAA Iowa, and RHRP Allen Webster has been sent to Minor League Camp.

So the Cubs MLB Active Roster now stands at 28, three above the MLB Opening Day limit of 25 players.

The three remaining moves that will get the Cubs Opening Day roster down to 25 will very likely involve placing RHP Tony Barnette (right shoulder), LHP Xavier Cedeno (left wrist), and RHP Brandon Morrow (November 2018 elbow surgery) on the MLB 10-day Injured List, retroactive to Monday 3/25. NOTE: A 10-day Injured List assignment can be backdated up to three days -- including the three days prior to MLB Opening Day -- as long as the player being placed on the 10-day Injured List did not play in an MLB regular season game(s) and/or MLB Cactus League or Grapefruit League game(s) during the backdated period.

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3/24 UPDATE:

The Cubs have signed FA LHRP Tim Collins to an MLB contract, and LHRP Brian Duensing has been Designated for Assignment to make room on the Cubs MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) for Collins.

Collins accepted an Optional Assignment to Iowa after signing with the Cubs, and because he has Article XIX-A rights (he has accrued at least five years of MLB Service Time), he had to give his consent before he could be sent to the minors.

Collins was an Article XX-B MLB free-agent post-2018, and he signed a minor league contract with the Minnesota Twins in February, so just like Junichi Tazawa and the Cubs, the Twins would have had to pay Collins a $100K retention bonus and he would would have received an automatic June 1st opt-out if the Twins hadn't released him (or added him to their MLB 40-man roster) by yesterday's deadline.

Also, NRI INF Cristhian Adames and OF Johnny Field have been assigned to Minor League Camp.

So the Cubs MLB Active List now stands at 30, with one NRI (RHRP Allen Webster) still in MLB Camp as well.

The Cubs must reduce their Active List to 25 players by MLB Opening Day (Thursday 3/28).

An injured or ill player on a club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) can be placed on the club's MLB 10-day Injured List beginning on Opening Day, but the assignment can be backdated up to three days (including the three days prior to MLB Opening Day) as long as the player did not play in an MLB regular season game(s) and/or MLB Cactus League game(s) or Grapefruit League game(s) during the backdated period.

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3/22 UPDATE:

The Cubs have optioned RHSP Alec Mills to Iowa. Mills suffered a lower back strain a couple of weeks ago and so he could not be optioned to the minors until he was healthy enough to pitch.

The Cubs have optioned RHP Adbert Alzolay and RHP Jen-Ho Tseng to AAA Iowa and RHP Oscar de la Cruz and LHP Justin Steele to AA Tennessee (although he is on the Restricted List, de la Cruz was optioned so that he cannot accrue MLB Service Time while on the MLB-MLBPA JDV suspension), sent LHP Alberto Baldonado, RHP Craig Brooks, LHP Ian Clarkin, RHP Carlos Ramirez, LHP Colin Rea, RHP Duncan Robinson, C Ian Rice, OF Charcer Burks, OF Jacob Hannemann, and OF Evan Marzilli to Minor League Camp, and released RHP Rob Scahill (who was signed to a minor league contract with an NRI to Spring Training).

And as I have mentioned before, players who are optioned to the minors or sent to Minor League Camp can continue to play in MLB Cactus League games.

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2/7 ORIGINAL POST:

2019 CUBS SPRING TRAINING UNIFORM NUMBERS

NOTE 1: These are preliminary and are subject to change NOTE 2: Several Spring Training Instructors are wearing duplicate numbers NOTE 3: Numbers 4, 39, and 49 are not assigned at this time (Cubs do not issue #69)

Since it also includes players who are ill (cancer, blood clot, ebola, etc), a more accurate term would be "Patient List," since the diagnosis must be confirmed (in writing) by a physician (usually the team physician), such that a player who is inactive by virtue of a certified injury or illness must (by definition) be somebody's patient in order to be on the list.

Or the term "Slacker List" could be another possibility, in that it is both descriptive and inclusive and might help motivate certain players to suck it up and get their ass back on the field and play baseball.

Actually, upon further review I would say "Medical Leave List" ("Medical Leave" or "Med-Leave" for short) would be the best term (because it would include both injuries & illnesses), which would be similar (in kind) to the "Paternity Leave List" (used when a player leaves his club to be present for the birth of his child) and "Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List" (used when a player leaves his club due to a death in the family or a family medical emergency).

"In addressing a number of topics with reporters at the conclusion of the Owners Meetings in Orlando, Fla., Manfred expressed appreciation for the "responsive proposal" MLB received last week to the league's proposal about a pitch clock and a three-batter minimum for relief pitchers within a single inning."

so like...death to the specialist reliever? you can't just spring that on a team.

i assume other stuff is stuck to that proposal, like 3 batters or ?? pitches...stuff like that. still, while i could use a bit less of maddon using 10 pitchers between innings 6-9, i don't think i'd like what that would do to the game even if it speeds it up a few minutes.

AZ Phil, any idea why the Cubs’ website lists Craig Brooks as an IF? I’m asssuming it’s a typo, and not a conversion, but thought I‘d ask anyway. He was actually a 3B/P in college and looks like he could hit a little.

BRADSBEARD: Definitely a typo. If Craig Brooks was converting from RHP to INF, he would have been doing it at Instructs (which he wasn't), plus there is no way he would have gotten an NRI to MLB ST as an infielder without first proving he can hit at AA and AAA. A pitcher doesn't convert to position player unless he is a proven professional hitter. Also, Brooks is a legit MLB bullpen prospect.

...that stuff aside, the rumors are this new channel will cost cable/satellite providers $4-6 to add it to their programming packages. also, this new channel will supposedly not be available over-the-air locally, so that's an end of an era.

on a more positive spin, they're supposedly going to show a lot of spring training home-park games and len/jd are going to be retained to call games.

"I think primarily the focus will be who's rested, who hasn't pitched a couple days in a row," Maddon said. "And work it that way until Brandon becomes available. And when he becomes available, it's still not going to be an everyday kind of thing. So, I will work off numbers, but I think with this particular group, a lot of it will have to do with who's most rested."

m.montgomery has a stellar attitude about being locked out of the SP competition and being a swing man...

"I'm going to really try to have fun with it, with the role," Montgomery said. "And embrace whatever it is that comes my way. It's challenging. There's different aspects you've got to really take care of, but I'm going to have fun with it."

Brailyn Marquez and Yovanny Cruz were the two best Cubs pitching prospects at Extended Spring Training last year. Cruz throws a mid-90's two-seamer and a hard-slider and probably projects as a reliever at the higher levels, unless he can find a reliable off-speed pitch.

Although he was drafted just last June, Luke Reynolds turns 24 next month so he will need to hit the ground running and keep moving forward. Time is not on his side. He is a polished college bat with plus BP power, he drives the ball to the opposite-field if he is pitched outside, and he takes a lot pitches and draws a lot of walks. The Cubs played Reynolds at both 1B and 3B at Instructs last month, and he looked comfortable at both spots and handled both positions well. I would think he will probably eventually morph into a "four-corner player" (1B-3B-LF-RF), if he doesn't run out of time.

With Russell's press conference and the Cubs deal with Sinclair both coming near the end of a very slow offseason, I'm having a very hard time getting excited for spring training. Curious what other's think about these issues going forward? I really would like none of my money going to Sinclari. Russell's continued non-admission of specific acts is par for the course but still undercuts his statements about being accountable. Do you all find this issues obstacles to enjoying baseball, too?

add the leaked joe ricketts racist-and-xenophobic-beyond-all-hell emails to the mix and you got a hell of an off-season. it's bigger news than the 100 nickle and dime contracts they added, anyway.

many (most) people will overlook this, but a chunk of the ricketts family not only talks the talk of their socially immoral beliefs (imo), they put money and labor behind pushing it...and it didn't just start this offseason.

it most likely won't show up in their bottom line because there's probably not enough people taking revenue-hurting steps to make a difference, but i don't plan on buying any cubs gear or purchasing game tickets when i'm in chicago any time soon no matter how successful they are.

i'm not some sufferer on the cross, though...i'm still buying MLB.tv streaming for the season and i will watch.

I only spend baseball money on MLB.tv and tickets when the Cubs come to town (away games). So, like you, there's very little way for me to cut back on spending without just changing team loyalty. I'm still irked.

Baseball is such a silly thing to care about, though. And they keep presenting ethical roadblocks to that whimsy.

Interesting, this appears to the year of mechanical fixes in the staff, Quintana's toe point and new confidence in his changeup, Hamel's fixes, Chatwood's double pump, wondering if other fixes are in store from the new pitching regime.

Even if the Cubs exercise the six 2020 club options (Barnette, Brach, Graveman, Morrow, Quintana, and Rizzo) and the two players with potential post-2019 player opt-outs (Heyward and Darvish) don't choose to leave, the Cubs will still have $53M+ coming off the books after this season (Cedeno, Cishek, Duensing, Hamels, Kintzler, Strop, and Zobrist are FA post-2019).

The Cubs are paying their seven abitration-eligible guys (Baez, Bryant, Edwards, Hendricks, Montgomery, Russell, and Schwarber) about $37M (collectively) in 2019 with Contreras and Almora and possibly Happ and/or K. Ryan (both are a potential "Super Two") eligible for salary arbitration post-2019, so even if there is a collective 50% increase (about $18M) in aggregate arbitration salaries in 2020, the Cubs still would have about $35M (or $42M if Morrow does not return in 2020) in payroll below where they are now going into 2020.

The Barnette, Descalso, Darvish, Graveman, and Rizzo salaries collectively escalate about $12M from 2019 to 2020, so that leaves the 2020 payroll at about $30M below 2019.

The Cubs are presently about $20M over the 2019 Competitive Balance Tax ("luxury tax") threshold ($206M), so with $30M in 2019 salaries likely subtracted from the payroll post-2019, the Cubs could add as much as $12M in 2020 payroll next off-season (and that's beyond the projected collective estimated 50% post-2019 salary arbitration bumps) and still come in under the 2020 CBT threshold (which will be $208M - up $2M from 2019).

Again, that is presuming that the Cubs exercise all of the club options for 2020 (probably with the exception of Morrow) and don't make any "salary dump" trades, Heyward and Darvish do not opt-out, and all of the post-2019 arbitration-eligible guys are tendered 2020 contracts. And if one or motre of the arbitration-eligible guys are traded or non-tendered, that's more available payroll.

So what would the Cubs MLB 40-man roster potentially look like after the World Series?

Mills, Rosario, K. Ryan, Underwood, and Zagunis will be out of minor league options post-2019 making them good candidates for a trade or a non-tender if they do not establish themselves in MLB in 2019, and #3 catcher T. Davis is another candidate for a trade or a non-tender, which could conceivably bring the potential post-2019 roster down to 28.

Even if the Cubs leave three slots open for free-agent signings (probably a couple of veteran relievers and maybe a 2B), the Cubs should be able to add as many as eight or possibly even nine minor leaguers eligible for selection in the Rule 5 Draft (or eligible to be a minor league free-agent) to the 40, in some cases during the season (otherwise post-World Series):

MOST-LIKELY TO BE ADDED TO THE 40 OVER NEXT NINE MONTHS (alphabetical): Miguel Amaya, C (but not until 11/20)Trent Giambrone, INF-OF (possibly during the season otherwise on 11/20) Dakota Mekkes, RHRP (possibly during the season otherwise on 11/20) Duncan Robinson, RHSP (possibly during the season otherwise on 11/20) Zack Short, SS (possibly during the season otherwise on 11/20)

it's been crazy to watch the fight for the top 2 free agents (machado/harper) become some sort of dogfight between the padres, phillies, and giants...3 teams that didn't even have a .500 record last season.

Michael Ernst is writing a series of articles on Cubs prospects over at Cubs Den. The work is very detailed and he actually knows who the most noteworthy Cubs prospects really are. Very highly recommended.

looked like a good one from the box score. i've been out all day, back home now, and ready to take in my first televised game of the spring (HOU/WAS).

is o.de la cruz still considered a starter or is he transitioning to the pen? looks like he put in a solid inning pulling up the end of the game.

wish i could find the time to enjoy arizona this year. i haven't done spring training since 2010. the horticulturalist in me would love to be out there for what should be one hell of a wildflower bloom season (based on the winter rains) as well as the games. it should be a sea of yellow/purple/white/orange/red amongst the green out there soon enough.

Kris Bryant's first inning HR off Chase Anderson was a towering fly ball that was a bit wind-aided, but not unlike what you might see at Wrigley Field. The line single had a lot of top-spin and fell in front of the left-fielder.

Confirmed MLB is now permitting players who are on the Restricted List as the result of a JDPTP or JDV suspension to participate in "official" MLB Cactus League and Grapefruit League games, so expect to see both Oscar de la Cruz - AND - Addison Russell play in Cubs MLB Cactus League games.

i'm counting on you cubs fans. you don't have to rain boos down on him...but, please...no standing O...

the many-years-long plague going across almost every team of "you did something really bad, but you're one of us, so here's some loving support for you" is a bit embarrasing no matter what your team happens to be...

@SF (but it's spring and cubs fans own almost every arizona park no matter the team affiliation)...russell got a rather muted welcome to the plate...a few boos...a few cheers...mostly a lot of nothing, though (unless they turned down the stadium mic's on the cubs feed).

evidently the elimination of the "stabbing motion" on his delivery is one of the big changes he's made this spring according to len on the radio feed. he has a lot of things going on in his delivery which aids the deception part of his pitching game.

also, this was his first time this spring facing live batting outside of the internal mounds according to len. he's been doing his work inside up until this point.

Willson with what sounded on the radio broadcast like a no doubt, three run homer against the Padres, scoring JHey and KB (who walked in both at bats today). Give Contreras some more breaks and maybe we’ll see that 2017 level power stroke again.

GEORGE KONTOS: FB: 88-89SL: 83-85NOTE: FB had no life whatsoever, looks like he has a dead arm... If this is all he has to offer he isn't going to make the Iowa bullpen, much less the pen at Wrigley...

PHIL: Thank you for the Pitchers velo! I was really hopeful for Kontos as the former Niles North and N. U. product. In 2016 he pitched against the Cubs in the Playoffs and they hit him pretty hard. However, I thought he still might have some arm left. But, it doesn’t sound like it. Are the Cubs going to stick Underwood back at AAA? He’s seemingly been toiling the minors for them since he turned 9.

E-MAN: Duane Underwood Jr is a lock to go back to Iowa. Whether he will be a SP or a RP there is still TBD, but if I had to guess I would say he will probably be a SP/RP "swing-man." Also, this is his last option year (he will be out of minor league options in 2020), so 2019 is probably a "make or break" year for him with respect to his future in the Cubs organization.

With the exception of SP Yu Darvish and minor leaguer Scott Effross (who finished Darvish's second inning), today's pitchers were the same ones who threw at Sloan Park on Saturday:

YU DARVISH: FB: 94-962S: 89-92 SL 85-86CH: 80-83 CV: 77 NOTE: Threw a wide variety of pitches without any apparent difficulty but struggled to command his stuff in both innings... Body language showed he was frustrated on the mound...

ROWAN WICK: FB 94-96 CV: 77 NOTE: Exact same everything as Saturday - same mid-90's FB and likes to throw the CV a lot - about 60/40 FB/CV, and his CV is ALWAYS exactly 77 MPH...

MIKE ZAGURSKI: FB: 90-93 SL/CV: 79-81 NOTE: Had two MPH better FB velo than he showed on Saturday in his first inning of work but then velo went back down to 90-91 in his 2nd inning... same breaking ball (kind of slurvy) he showed on Saturday but he didn't use it much... worked at a better pace and didn't nibble as much as he did last time out...

MATT CARASITI: FB: 91-94 SL: 81-82 CH: 78-80 (may be a splitter?)NOTE: FB velo was down a bit from Saturday and he didn't mix in his secondaries quite as much as he did last time

ALBERTO BALDONADO: FB: 92-93 - T-95-96 CH: 80-82CV: 76-78 NOTE: Pretty much the same story as Saturday (decent stuff but spotty command) up until the last two pitches, when he suddenly muscled-up and threw two chest-high mid-90's FB (95 and 96) out of the blue for inning-ending K... Other than just seeing Darvish healthy and pitching in a game, the last two Baldonado pitches were probably the two most interesting pitches of the day...

GEORGE KONTOS: FB: 87-89 T-90 SL: 84-85 NOTE: Same as last time... SL good, but FB is still lame...

JEN-HO TSENG: FB: 88-91 CH: 82-84 SL: 83 CV: 74-76NOTE: A's hitters squared up everything he threw up there... terrible command with mediocre stuff... if there is such a thing as hanging a fastball, he did it... a definite DFA candidate if the Cubs need one at the end of Spring Training...

JORDAN MINCH: FB: 93-94 SL: 81-83 NOTE: Throws fairly hard but (as usual) he still can't command his FB... All over the place with it... Cubs keep waiting for the light to turn on, but it hasn't (yet)...

RANDY ROSARIO:FB: 93-94 CH: 86-89 NOTE: Two of his first three pitches (both 94 MPH FB) were crushed for long HR... Why?... FB is straight and is almost always exactly 94 MPH... CH is more of a show-me pitch used as a distraction...

ALLEN WEBSTER:FB: 94-97 T-98 SL: 89-91 CH: 88-90 NOTE: Just - Wow! - ... Absolutely electric... power slider combined with high-velocity FB and an occasional CH... FB was hitting 97 consistently and slider was filthy... some command issues during the inning but not uncommon given the quality of the stuff... I'm telling you right now -- if the Cubs can't use him I'll betcha he can help somebody's MLB bullpen get better in a hurry... biggest concern with Webster is that he is out of minor league options, so if Cubs add him to the 40 (and the Opening Day 25) he can't realistically get sent down to Iowa if there is roster crunch later (like when Brandon Morrow comes back) because he - WILL - get claimed off waivers... what to do? what to do?...

MANUEL RONDON: FB: 91-93 SL: 81-82NOTE: Nothing too special here but he threw strikes and worked fast and mixed his pitches well...

In your opinion, has Tseng regressed in recent seasons? I've only ever seen him with the major league team, but he's always looked eminently hittable in those outings. He doesn't seem to throw anything that fools hitters. Your note about the hanging fastball seems right on the money. I've wondered if his delivery, which looks to me like it involves a lot of horizontal rotation of the shoulders, gives too good a look at the ball out of his hand. I vaguely remember him being a decent prospect and projected as a potential starter in the past. So I'm wondering if he used to look better.

HAGSAG: Justin Steele is being brought along slowly. He is in MLB camp only because by rule he has to be because he's on the MLB 40-man roster. Also, because he is a Rule 6 Draft-Excluded Player, Steele cannot be sent to the minors any earlier than 20 days prior to MLB Opening Day (March 8th).

So I would expect Steele to be part of the Cubs' first Spring Training "batch cut" (a dozen or more players) which will probably happen sometime around March 11-12 (MLB Cubs have a day off on Monday 3/11, there is a night game on Tuesday 3/12, and Cactus League minor league Spring Training games start on Thursday 3/14).

The Cubs normally don't send players to Minor League Camp more than two or three days before the first minor league Spring Training games because most of the position players and pitchers in big league camp are already in game shape and don't need fielding practice, baserunning drills, "live" BP, etc.

As for Latin players, if you're talking about players coming up to Mesa from the Cubs Dominican Academy, that won't happen until the week prior to the start of Extended Spring Training. Minor League Camp exists to determine who will be on the Opening Day rosters of the four Cubs full-season minor league teams (Iowa, Tennessee, Myrtle Beach, and South Bend), and it's already crowded enough on the backfields (100+ pitchers and 90+ position players) without adding another 20 or 30 DSL guys (who have zero chance of making the South Bend Opening Day roster) to the scrum.

ROWAN WICK:FB: 94-96SL: 87-91CV: 76-80 NOTE: Pretty much the same thing we've seen in his first two outings, with a high-velo slider added to the mix.

MATT CARASITI: FB: 91-94 CT: 85-87 CH: 80-81 NOTE: FB velo still down a bit after consistently working at 95 in his first outing at Sloan last Saturday... FB got hit hard today and he couldn't finish his inning... secondaries were not too good today, either...

IAN CLARKIN: FB: 89-91SL: 83-84 CV: 77 NOTE: Stuff is solid but he has a lot of trouble commanding it... he's mostly a project right now... I'm not sure he's even ready for AAA, but he remains a decent prospect with some upside... He is eligible to be a minor league 6YFA post-2019, so Cubs could add him back to the 40 after the World Series if he declines to sign a 2020 successor contract...

ALBERTO BALDONADO:FB: 91-94CH: 83-86CV: 78 NOTE: Even though he's been a minor league 6YFA two years in a row, he's still really more of a prospect than run-of-the-mill AAA roster depth... High ceiling guy who could emerge as a AAA break-out reliever in 2019 if he can throw strikes more consistently ... I could see the Cubs adding Baldonado to the 40 after the World Series to keep him from walking away as a minor league FA... he is a legit prospect...

Seeing the Trent Goambone HR today reminds me that he isn't very good defensively, and in fact the one position he plays OK (and it's just OK) is 2B. So leave him at 2B and he could perhaps develop into a Brian Dozier-type 2B. Not everybody can be super-sub.

LUIS LUGO:FB: 86-88 CH: 81-82NOTE: Pressed into service when Darvish's third inning was canceled... worked fast & threw strikes... was selected by Cubs in AAA Phase of 2018 Rule 5 Draft so he must spend Spring Training with AAA Iowa, then he can be assigned to any Cubs minor league affiliate...

JUNICHI TAZAWA: FB: 90 CH 84-86 (splitter) CV: 73-77 NOTE: First game outing of 2019 after visa problem delayed his arrival... threw mostly splitters and curves and got good results with both pitches (induced swings & misses)... used mediocre FB only as "show-me" set-up pitch... keep in mind Tazawa was an Article XX-B MLB FA post-2018, so he gets an automatic $100K retention bonus and June 1st opt-out if he is not released or added to MLB 40-man roster prior to MLB Opening Day...

CARLOS RAMIREZ: FB: 90-92 SL: 81-83 NOTE: Same show as last two times except velo was down slightly... generic 4-A middle-reliever... not bad, but nothing stands out...

MIKE ZAGURSKI: FB: 90-92 SL: 78-81 (more slurve than SL) NOTE: FB & BB velo down a bit from previous outing... might be useful as LOOGY because his "slurvy" breaking ball works really well against LH hitters (struck out Rutherford and Delmonico)...

Because of off days the Cubs will need only four SP over the first ten days of the MLB regular season, so if one of the Cubs SP has as much as a sprained hang-nail I would hope that the Cubs would seriously consider placing him on the 10-day Injured List prior to Opening Day and carry Dillon Maples as a 9th arm in the pen for the first ten days of the season.

Cole Hamels, Mike Montgomery, and Brandon Kintzler were the pitchers, Anthony Rizzo, Jason Heyward, and Ian Happ were the hitters, and the Iowa squad provided baserunners (Rizzo, Heyward, and Happ did not run the bases) and most of the position players on defense (the catchers were from MLB Camp).

AZ Phil, Jared Young has appeared in 5 MLB ST games already. By my count, the only other player below AA to play in a game is Miguel Amaya (he got into Saturday’s game) and a few more made it into that first set of split squad games. And Young has really performed well. Has 2 HRs already, a solid base hit against former Cubs prospect and NPB vet Jay Jackson, and a hard hit ball to the warning track today off MLB reliever Amir Garrett. Len Kesper has been complimentary during broadcasts, and I know you have glave him high remarks during instructs

Would you say this kind of playing time is indicative of how much the Cubs think of Young? There are other more experienced AAA guys seeing less playing time. Obviously he was their minor league player of the year last year, but still he’s not someone who has gotten much attention outside of Cubs fan circles.

BRADSBEARD: The Cubs have a much higher opinion of Jared Young than do the various prospect evaluation sites. Young is being fast-tracked and will likely begin the 2019 season at AA. He is the best pure hitter in the system. The only negative is that he plays 1B-LF.

BRAD BRACH: No info because stastcast was turned-off during his inning.

TYLER CHATWOOD: FB: 92-95 CT: 89-90 CH: 81-83 CV: 77-79 NOTE: Another really fine outing by Chatwood.... once again, he issued no walks, threw a variety of types of pitches, and while he bounced a couple or three CV and CH and missed a bit with the CT, he had good command of his FB... FB velo began at 95 and was at 95 at the end of his third inning as well, so he didn't lose anything during the course of the three innings... As an extra added bonus he made two very nice defensive plays, showing off his old shortstop moves... he looked very relaxed and comfortable on the mound...

WILL SHORT: FB: 92-93 SL: 81-82 NOTE: Finished Lester's fourth inning... the Murphy HR was on a 93 MPH FB and was one of the longer HR hit to LF I've ever seen at Sloan..

BRIAN DUENSING: FB: 88-90CH: 84-86CV: 76-78 NOTE: Another solid outing from Duensing, although his stuff is not particularly awe-inspiring... his FB velo was up by two MPH (albeit stiill only 90 MPH) over his last outing, however...

BRANDON KINTZLER: FB: 90-92 CH: 87 SL: 85 NOTE: He threw almost all two-seam FB with poor command... when he did throw strikes Rockies returned hard contact... he couldn't finish his inning even after mound visit from pitching coach... if the Cubs are willing to eat Kintzler's $5M salary (offset by pro-rated MLB minimum $575K salary if he signs a major league contract with another MLB club after getting released) I can think of about a half-dozen other relief options I would prefer to see working out of the Cubs bullpen who would be making just about the $575K the Cubs would save if Kintzler is released and signs a major league contract with another club...

ZACH HEDGES: FB: 89-92 CH: 83 NOTE: Finished Kintzler's inning... I can't see room for Hedges at Iowa and I'm not even sure there will be a spot for him at Tennessee, either. . DILLON MAPLES: FB: 95-96 - T-97 SL: 87-90 CV: 82-85 NOTE: Continues to throw high-velo FB/SL combo... command of both pitches still good... occasional low-80's hammer-CV (which functions as a de facto CH) is a decent off-speed third pitch... from what I have seen so far, it looks like Maples is ready to contribute at the MLB level...

DAKOTA MEKKES: FB: 90-91 CH: 83 NOTE: Continues to get good results although there is nothing special about his stuff, but his release point & arm angle really seem to befuddle hitters... I still say he reminds me a bit of Rod Beck, in terms of a cool & confident mound presence despite somewhat pedestrian stuff...

PEDRO STROP: FB: 92-94CT: 87-89SL: 82-83 NOTE: Command is still a bit off, but otherwise he looks healthy and ready to roll...

STEVE CISHEK: FB: 88-90CH: 85 CV: 76-78 NOTE: FB velo was a bit down today, so Cishek dazzled Angels hitters with his mid-70's CV, a pitch you rarely see from a side-armer...

GEORGE KONTOS: FB: 87-90CH: 85-86SL: 82-84 NOTE: FB still looks tired and he couldn't command it, either... only his SL is fully-functional... I would say he is a good bet to get released sometime in the next few days...

ROWAN WICK:FB: 93-96SL: 80-83 NOTE: Threw mainly FB with typical (for him) mid-90's velo, but when he did throw a breaking ball it was a slurvy SL instead of the 77 MPH CV he had been using quite a bit previously...

CARLOS RAMIREZ: FB: 90-92 SL: 80-83 NOTE: FB velo still down a bit down after touching 94 a couple of weeks ago... not only is there no spot for Ramirez in Chicago, there is probably no spot for him in Des Moines, either...

ALBERTO BALDONADO: FB: 92-93CH: 84-85CV: 78-79 NOTE: Baldonado continues to impress, although he isn't MLB ready because his command isn't quite all there yet... he is a good bet to get added to the 40 no later than post-World Series, though, because otherwise he can walk away as a minor league 6YFA and he has too much upside for the Cubs to allow that to happen ...

OSCAR de la CRUZ: FB: 93-96CH: 87 CV: 80 NOTE: ODLC finally broke-out the CH when he couldn't put Angels hitters away with his FB and CV, and it worked like a charm...

I thought it was a bit odd that Cole Hamels threw in the split squad road game in Scottsdale (vs SF) rather than remaining in Mesa and pitching in the game versus LAA. The 6-1/2 mile 15 minute drive from the Cubs facility in Mesa to Scottsdale Stadium (and back) can be very tiring for an older pitcher like Hamels.

AZ Phil: putting on your rose colored glasses and gulping down a pitcher of Cub blue Kool Aid, if Nico Hoerner can hit for average and play above average 2B; and Addison Russell has a break out offensive year to rebuild his value, baggage along side forever but not violated. How do you project Theo playing these assets to the Cubs best benefit Going into 2020.

CUBSTER: I suspect the Cubs will probably shop Addison Russell next off-season and take what they can get for him. He's under control only through the 2021 season and because he's a Boras client he isn't likely to sign an extension with the Cubs (or with any other club if he gets traded), so his value is diminished even if clubs are willing to overlook his DV baggage.

With the Cubs payroll AAV scheduled go down by at least $60M in 2020, they should be able to pursue contract extensions with whichever "core" members are willing to extend (something they can't do right now because of the many guaranteed contracts that currently populate the roster).

So I look for "contract extension" talk to really heat-up next off-season.

CHARLIE: While not AZ PHIL ( I couldn’t hold his radar gun), I saw JH Tseng at KaneCounty. He was on the same team with Schwarbs, Hanneman, Candalario, Mark Zagunis, Bote, Zack Godley, Vic Caratini, etc. Not a bad collection of talent there!

Tseng showed a great deal of promise then and had a WHIP. of .87 with a 6-1 record. 105 innngs. 5 years ago.Control has been his thing. Last year at AAA things blew up for him there. But he is still only 24 years old...I would be curious to get the scoop from PHIL on what the scouts and coaches are feeling about his ceiling - and his floor - now.

Here are the Cubs pitchers' velo readings for those of you who might have missed Tuesday night's Cubs - Reds game at Sloan Park in Mesa:

TYLER CHATWOOD: FB: 92-95 SL: 87-90 CV: 81-82 NOTE: His SL and his FB were all over the place when he was warming up in the bullpen before the start of the game, and the "bad" 2018 Chatwood continued once the game started.... stuff was typically electric but he consistently bounced his SL and couldn't command his FB... He was supposed to go four innings but couldn't get out the top of the 2nd thanks in part to his own two-base throwing error over the head of catcher Victor Caratini on what should have been the start of an easy 1-2-3 GIDP...

JOSE ROSARIO: FB: 92-93 SL: 81CH: 80-82 NOTE: Finished Chatwood's second inning... FB velo is down significantly from where it was before elbow & shoulder injuries nearly torpedoed his career... he was moved-down from the Iowa squad to the Tennessee squad at Minor League Camp on Sunday and he will have difficulty finding a spot in the Smokies bullpen in 2019...

MIKE MONTGOMERY: FB: 88-91 CH: 85-86 CV: 75-76NOTE: First Cactus League game outing after throwing 4.0 IP (two innings in each game) in two intrasquad "sim" games last week... he wasn't especially sharp vs Reds but completed two innings of work...

CARL EDWARDS JR: CT: 92-95CV: 76-79 NOTE: Best Cubs outing of the night (by far)... CJE's new Kenley Jansen-inspired "hesitation" delivery is working really well and it appears to help him focus and throw strikes more consistently...

ALLEN WEBSTER: FB: 92-95 SL: 88-91 NOTE: High velo SL is still his "out" pitch but FB velo was down 2-3 MPH from where it was in his first outing a couple of weeks ago when he was sitting 96-97 and touched 98... he had difficulty commanding the FB as well...

RANDY ROSARIO: FB: 91-94CH: 87-89SL: 87 NOTE: Connor Joe monster HR to CF was on a 92 MPH four-seam FB and Blake Trahan followed Joe's mega-blast with a near-HR of his own to just about the same spot, also on a 92 MPH four-seamer... Despite the good FB velo R. Rosario does not get good results with it because it's arrow-straight and has no deception and he has difficulty commanding his secondary pitches so hitters sit on his FB... was unable to complete his assigned inning after getting tatooed...

MARIO MEZA: FB: 89-90SL: 80-82 NOTE: Finished R. Rosario's inning.... Like Jose Rosario, Meza was moved down from the Iowa squad to the Tennessee squad at Minor League Camp on Sunday, and Meza's stuff is inferior to J. Rosario's, so if there is no room for J. Rosario in the Tennessee Opening Day bullpen, I don't see how there will be room for Meza...

KYLE RYAN: FB: 87-90 - T-91 SL: 79-82 (slurve) NOTE: Threw almost all FB in his two innings of work... a poor man's Mike Montgomery (a LHP "swing-man" who lives by the ground ball), K. Ryan would probably be the replacement if anything bad happens to Montgomery in 2019... otherwise I can't see K. Ryan on the Cubs Active List roster until maybe September... Along with Jen-Ho Tseng. K. Ryan is a candidate to get dropped from the 40 if a slot is needed...

With the new "hard & fast" July 31st MLB trade deadline reportedly being implemented this season (and with the elimination of August waiver trades), clubs like the Cubs will need to make sure every pitcher and position player at Iowa as of 7/31 is "major league ready," to insure adequate depth in case of injuries occurring post-July 31.

An MLB regular season (AKA "championship season") must be at least 182 days but no more than 187 days (186 days in 2019) so as to accommodate more off days during the course of the season.

1. A player cannot get credit for more than 172 days of MLB Service Time in any one MLB championship season (MLB regular season).

2. MLB Service Time is counted beginning on MLB Opening Day up through the last day of the MLB regular season (including any day a make-up game for a postponed game and/or a tie-breaker game is scheduled after the originally-scheduled conclusion of the MLB regular season).

3. MLB Service Time can only be accrued during the MLB championship season (MLB regular season). MLB Service Time cannot be accrued during the MLB post-season (Wild Card game, LDS, LCS, and World Series).

4. If an MLB regular season game or games are scheduled during Spring Training (prior to MLB Opening Day), only players on the MLB Active List or on an MLB Injured List or other MLB inactive list of the clubs participating in the games(s) accrue MLB Service Time. This would apply to any MLB regular season game(s) known as "international openers" that may be scheduled in Australia, Japan, Mexico, etc, during Spring Training and prior to MLB Opening Day. Otherwise, MLB Service Time cannot be accrued during Spring Training (prior to MLB Opening Day).

5. A player on an MLB Reserve List accrues a day of MLB Service Time for each day of the MLB regular season spent on an MLB Active List or on an MLB 7-day, 10-day, or 60-day Injured List (including days spent on a Minor League Injury Rehabilitation assignment), Paternity Leave List, Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency List, Suspended List, or Military List, or on the Restricted List as the result of a suspension for violation of the MLB -MLBPA JDPTP or a suspension or leave of absence related to a violation or possible violation of the MLB-MLBPA JDV policy.EXCEPTION: Beginning in December 2016, a player suspended as the result of a violation of the MLB-MLBPA JDTPTP will - NOT - receive credit for MLB Service Time while on the Restricted List unless it's the player's first or second positive test and the length of the suspension is subsequently reduced by at least 20 games by an arbitrator as the result of mitigating circumstances.

6. A player does not accrue MLB Service Time for days spent on the Disqualified List, Ineligible List, or Voluntary Retired List, or for days spent on the Restricted List for any reason other than a Prohibited Substance or Domestic Violence suspension.

7. A player traded during the MLB regular season continues to accrue MLB Service Time after being traded but before reporting to his new club.

8. A player who is Designated for Assignment (DFA) accrues MLB Service Time for the entire period of time he is Designated for Assignment during the MLB regular season, but if the player is Designated for Assignment prior to the start of the MLB regular season and the DFA period extends into the MLB regular season, the player does not accrue MLB Service Time while he is Designated for Assignment.

9. A player normally does not accrue MLB Service Time for days spent on Optional Assignment to the minor leagues. However, if a player spends less than 20 days on Optional Assignment to the minors during the course of a given MLB regular season, the player gets credit for MLB Service Time for the days spent on Optional Assignment.EXCEPTION: If a player is optioned to the minors prior to accruing MLB Service Time that season (for example, if the player is optioned to the minors prior to MLB Opening Day) and then is released or sent outright to the minors prior to spending at least 20 days on Optional Assignment and then is not added to an MLB Active List (25-man roster) for the balance of that MLB regular season, the time spent on Optional Assignment prior to being released or outrighted does - NOT - count as MLB Service Time.

10. If a player spends at least 20 days on Optional Assignment to the minors in a given MLB regular season, the player does not accrue MLB Service Time for the days spent on Optional Assignment.NOTE: Days spent on Optional Assignment during Spring Training (prior to MLB Opening Day) do not count toward the 20 days.

11. If a player is optioned to the minors, the player is not credited with a day of MLB Service Time for the day the player is optioned to the minors unless the player is optioned during or after the conclusion of an MLB regular season game played by his club that day. If a player is recalled from a minor league Optional Assignment, the player receives credit for a day of MLB Service Time beginning with the day the player is recalled.

For anyone interested, here are the Cubs pitchers velo readings from Tuesday's Cubs - Mariners game at Sloan Park:

YU DARVISH: FB: 93-96 2S: 89-92SL: 83-86 CH: 80-83 CV: 78 ???: 59 (I don't know what type of pitch this was but it was the slowest pitch I've seen since Little League) NOTE: A really interesting variety of pitches from Yu... Looked good until the blister caused him to leave the game earlier than planned...

CARL EDWARDS JR: FB: 89-92 CV: 78-80NOTE: Was called in suddenly to finish the top of the 5th after Yu left game with blister... was given extended time to warm-up but FB (cutter) velo was way down and FB command was off, too... Then after giving up a monster HR and almost another one to the next hitter in the top of the 6th, he got thrown out of the game after hitting a Mariners batter with a pitch (WTF???)... just a poor outing all around... CJ just should have stayed in bed...

MIKE MONTGOMERY: FB: 90-92 NOTE: Finished CJ's inning and threw nothing but fastballs after being given extended time to warm-up...

MATT CARASITI: FB: 92-95 CT: 86 CH/SL: 79-81 (could be a splitter)NOTE: FB velo back up to where it was in his very first outing last month... hopefully there will be a spot for him in the Iowa bullpen, because Carasiti has minor league options left and he cannot elect free-agency if outrighted (if he were to be added to the 40 at some point)...

TYLER CHATWOOD: FB: 93-94SL: 87-88 CV: 80-82 NOTE: A very quiet and efficient inning... I am beginning to really like Chatwood as a boring RP...

Some things to keep in mind about the "backdating" of injured list assignments:

As long as the player did not appear in a game during the retroactive period (including "official" MLB Cactus League or Grapefruit League games or other MLB pre-season exhibition games), an MLB 10-day Injured List assignment can be backdated up to three days (including the three days prior to MLB Opening Day), and a 7-day (acute concussion) Injured List assignment can be backdated up to four days (including the four days prior to MLB Opening Day).

If a player on an MLB 7-day (acute concussion) Injured List is not reinstated after spending ten days on the list, he is automatically transferred to his club's 10-day Injured List.

During Spring Training and during the MLB regular season up through August 31st, an injured or ill player can be placed on or transferred to the MLB 60-day Injured List only if his club's reserve list is full, but if a player is placed on or transferred to the MLB 60-day Injured List after August 31st, the club's reserve list must be full - AND - the player must be replaced on his club's MLB Reserve List (40-man roster) by another player.

A player cannot be placed on the MLB 60-day Injured List after the conclusion of the MLB regular season, and during the post-season and off-season, up until the start of Spring Training (beginning on the date that pitchers & catchers are scheduled to report). A minor league player can be placed on a minor league club's 60-day Injured List only during his minor league club's regular season.

For a player who is transferred from the MLB 7-day or 10-day Injured List to the MLB 60-day Injured List (or from a minor league club's 7-day Injured List to the minor league club's 60-day Injured List), time spent on the MLB 7-day or 10-day Injured List (or minor league 7-day Injured List) during the MLB regular season (or during the minor league regular season) prior to being transferred counts toward the minimum 60 days a player must spend on the 60-day Injured List. However, time spent on a minor league 7-day Injured List or minor league 60-day Injured List does NOT count toward the minimum number of days a player must spend on an MLB Injured List if a player is recalled from an optional assignment or has his contract selected and is added to an MLB 40-man roster prior to being reinstated from a minor league injured list.

A player who is placed on the MLB 60-day Injured List during Spring Training must spend at least the first 60 days of the MLB regular season on the Injured List (the player cannot be reinstated any earlier than the 61st day of the MLB regular season).

For those of you who might have missed Wednesday night's MLB Cactus League Game at Sloan Park, here are the velo readings from Cubs pitchers (and one Dodger pitcher):

COLE HAMELS: FB: 91-93 CT 87-89 CH: 83-85 CU: 77-79 NOTE: Mixed up his pitches very well and maintained FB velo throughout outing, but fly ball pitchers like Hamels usually don't fare too well in Arizona in March (they don't fare too well in Texas, either).

MIKE MONTGOMERY: CH: 82-84 NOTE: Pitched in a game for the second day in a row and once again finished another pitcher's inning (Hamel's 6th)... threw all FB Tuesday, then threw CH in this game... Montgomery is definitely - NOT - being stretched-out as a SP this Spring, folks...

JUNICHI TAZAWA: FB: 90-92 CH 85-86 (splitter) NOTE: FB velo has spiked two MPH over past ten days and splitter is cookin'... Right now Tazawa is a better bullpen option than both Brandon Kintzler and Brian Duensing, but their guaranteed contracts may yet rule on Opening Day...

GEORGE KONTOS: FB: 87-90 SL: 85 NOTE: He was cut from MLB Camp last week... I don't see where he fits at Iowa, either...

KYLE RYAN: FB: 87-90SL: 80-82 (slurve) NOTE: K. Ryan is a nice Plan "B" to have at AAA Iowa in case anything happens to Mike Montgomery, because they are essentially the same extreme groundball pitcher, except Montgomery's FB velo is a couple of MPH faster...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

ABOUT THOSE DODGERS:

STETSON ALLIE: FB: 97-100SL: 87-90

And SP Dustin May's FB velo was 96-98 early before he dialed it back a bit (92-94) in his later innings, Julio Urias FB was consistently 94-96 T-97, and Joe Kelly's FB was sitting 97-98 - T-99...

Here are the Cubs pitchers velo readings from Thursday afternoon's Cubs - Giants Cactus League game at Sloan Park:

KYLE HENDRICKS: FB: 84-86 - T-87 CH: 77-80CV: 69-71 NOTE: Velo was down a bit across the board for Hendricks, but does it really matter?

BRIAN DUENSING: FB: 88-89CH: 84-86 SL: 80NOTE: Finished Hendricks' final inning (the 6th)... best thing I can say about Duensing is that he appears to be healthy and is throwing the ball as well as he can...

BRANDON KINTZLER: FB: 91-93 SL: 86-87 NOTE: It's too bad the Cubs have so many relievers with guaranteed contracts, because otherwise keeping Webster and Tazawa and cutting Duensing and Kintzler would be a no-brainer, but even then, what to do when Morrow comes back?...

ALLEN WEBSTER: FB: 95-96 - T-97 SL: 89-91 NOTE: Man, there are so many years in the past where an arm like Webster with a high-octane FB/SL combo would have been a godsend, but it may be necessary to keep Webster at Iowa until the bullpen can be cleared (via trade or season-ending injury), because if the Cubs add Webster to the 25 (and the 40) on Opening Day and then find out they need to allocate his roster slot to Brandon Morrow when Morrow (presumably) returns in May, Webster - WILL - positively get claimed off waivers (remember, Webster is out of minor league options)...

BRAD BRACH: FB: 89-90 - T-91 SL: 81-84 NOTE: Signing Brach was one of the now seemingly unnecessary moves the Cubs made just before the start of Spring Training that makes it much more difficult to add Webster and Tazawa to the MLB roster.... Brach is OK and he has a lot of MLB experience, but he's nothing special...

I know that today's Cubs - Rangers MLB Cactus League game at Sloan Park was on TV, so my apologies to those who already saw it, but for those of you who might have missed it, here are the velo readings for Cubs pitchers:

Even though today's Cubs- Red Sox game was on TV, here are last & final Cubs pitchers ST game velo numbers:

CARL EDWARDS JR: FB: 94-95CV: 79-80NOTE: FB velo finally back up to where it needs to be...

BRANDON KINTZLER: FB: 90-92 SL: 85-86 NOTE: Two hard-hit line-outs were sandwiched around a strikeout... I guess he will do (at least for a while) as a RH middle-reliever

JAMES NORWOOD: FB: 95-97 - T-98 CH: 87 SL: 81-83 NOTE: A FB power pitcher who needs to have more consistent command from outing-to-outing... FB is explosive but secondaries are just so-so...

GEORGE KONTOS: FB: 87-90 SL: 84-86 NOTE: I doubt that there will be room for him in the Iowa bullpen, but we'll see... FB still a dud, but SL is OK... a "poor man's Brandon Kintzler" at this stage of his career...

TIM COLLINS: FB: 92-93CT: 88 (he threw a lot of these and they were all 88 MPH)CV: 74-76 NOTE: Swihart HR was on a 92 MPH FB...

ROWAN WICK: FB: 94-96 CV: 79 NOTE: Wick's 92-94 FB velo is like clockwork... it never dips or varies... he's back to throwing the "old reliable" CV again after experimenting during ST with a high-velo SL (like Chatwood and Maples throw) that he could not command...

MATT CARASITI: FB: 92-95 - T-96 CT: 86 CH/SL: 81-83 (could be a splitter)NOTE: FB velo & secondaries still very good... I would think he would be a virtual lock for the Iowa pen...

IAN CLARKIN: FB: 89-91 SL: 83 CV: 75 NOTE: Terrible outing... command was poor... couldn't retire even one batter... Clarkin was moved from the AA Tennessee starting rotation to the Smokies bullpen last week and I would think he'll probably be in the Tennessee pen indefinitely...

SCOTT EFFROSS: FB: 91-92 SL: 82-84 NOTE: Finished Clarkin's inning without further incident... FB not great but SL is OK... there will probably be a slot for him somewhere in the middle of the Tennessee bullpen, but AA may be his ceiling...

BRAD MARKEY: FB: 94-95 CT/CH: 85-86 SL: 81-82 NOTE: Decent outing with a consistent 95 MPH FB mixed with mid-80's CT(?) and a SL.. should fit somewhere in the AA Tennessee bullpen with the capability of fillng-in at AAA if needed... this is a guy who could benefit from a change of scenery...

Recent comments

A's have decided to not be horrible and to pay their minor leaguers through the end of the season (august)

"“I changed my mind after spending a lot of time talking to our team,” A's owner John Fisher told the Chronicle. “I concluded I’d made a mistake. I’ve listened to our fans and others, and there is no question that this is the right thing to do. We clearly got this decision wrong. These players represent our future and we will immediately begin paying our minor-league players. I take responsibility and I’m making it right.""

I'm in. What more do we need, really. A beer. A game or two. The 162 game season can wait until next year (I hope). Have fun with a micro-mini season. Let the powers fight over the labor agreements. They can finish by next spring, right?

IN BRIEF (Tribune, from their mini-sports section): In a letter, MLB rejects players’ plan for 114 gamesNews servicesMajor League Baseball rejected the players’ proposal for a 114-game schedule in the pandemic-delayed season with no additional salary cuts, telling the union that teams have no reason to think 82 games is possible and now will discuss even fewer.Players made their proposal Sunday, five days after management’s initial economic plan.

I agree. Laura is the real deal. I think she was the major influence that showed Tom R. and Crane Kenney how to show a "human side" and deal realistically and in a non-threatening way, with the local Chicago politicians. Kenney was clearly clueless in his initial attempts regarding the neighborhood, the Rooftop owners, and the Wrigley Field rebuild.